Combined spotting and release mechanism



Oct. 10, 1933. E., F. GREEN COMBINED SPOTTING AND RELEASE MECHANISM I Filed March 18, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I I k i Q as l O I E. gnuemtov Earl .2 Gracia Oct. 10, 1933. E. F. GREEN COMBINED SPOTTING AND RELEASE MECHANISM Filed March 18, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 g ZIWM EarZZ Z' Green iwh k. m

Patented Oct. 10, 1933 COMBINED SPOTTING AND RELEASE MECH- ANISM Earl F. Green, York, Pa., assignor to The Manley Manufacturing Company, York, Pa a corporation of Delaware Application March s, 1929. serial No. 348,040

22 Claims.

This invention relates to jacks and has for its principal object the provision of a simple and eificient means readily available to the mechanic from a position at the handle end of the jack whereby he may spot the load support beneath the part to be raised and may from the same position raise and lower the load support with or without the load.

' A further object of the present invention lies m in the provision of lever operated means whereby the position of a single element will determine whether the tongue or handle of the jack shall be used for raising the load, for lowering the load, or for spotting.

l Jacks as ordinarily used have four wheels or casters, the forward wheels being positioned some distance back from the front end of the jack while the rear wheels are almost invariably at the extreme rear end, slightly behind the load support itself. While it is a simple task to pull a jack forward or to push it rearwardly it is ordinarily not easy to bring the saddle or load support directly beneath the load except by repeated forward and backward movements of the Jack. Spotting consists in so locking the tongue or handie to the body of the jack that the mechanic may rest his weight upon the end of the handle while it is locked and thereby lift the two rear wheels and the heaviest part of the jack oil. of the ground, the jack being now supported on the front casters only. In this way the necessary slight side motion is conveniently secured.

Generally the pump handle is reciprocated as in the present instance to raise the load support. It is naturally quite immaterial to the operation of the device herein claimed whether the reciprocation of the handle operates a pump as illustrated or whether it operates a set of gearing as is quite common in the art, except insofar as the claims recite definitely that the :='---ase mechanism operates a fluid valve.

. In the embodiment shown the Jack is of the well known hydraulic type in which a reservoir holds a quantity of fluid which is pumped from this reservoir, past a one-way valve, to the ram cylinder, the ram, thru a series of levers, operating a load support preferably of the saddle type. To lower the load a spring pressed valve in a return conduit is opened and the liquid, usually oil under pressure behind the ram, is returned to the reservoir at a speed determined by the amount of opening of the fluid release valve.

In the mechanical jack the return conduit valve of the hydraulic jack is replaced by appropriate mechanism which might be a band brake.

The advantage of the mechanism illustrated lies in the fact that the operator has at all times within his control while grasping the handle bars, the raising and the lowering of the load support, and the ability to shift the load support sideways 00 at any time when the load support is not lifting the load.

In the drawings:- Figure 1 is a partly sectional side elevation of the hydraulic jack embodying my invention. a

Figure 2 is a plan view of the forward portion of the jack. I

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the parts shown in Figure 2. I

Figure 4 is a detail taken on line 4-4 of Figure 3.

The hydraulic jack illustrated is of usual type save that one side bar 10 is radially slotted as at 11, 12, 13 to form a spotting device, and the other side bar 14 is provided with a forwardly and inwardly extending bracket which forms the hearing for a pivot 15 supporting the cam lever 16. The forward free ends of these two side bars are, as usual, connected by a shaft 1'7 forming a hinge joint for the tongue or handle by means of which the jack is transported and positioned and by which the load support is elevated by creating pressure behind the ram thru the pump, the latter having a reciprocating plunger 18 connected by a link 19 with a fork 20 integral with the hub 5 21 of the tongue yoke 43. The load support is lowered by a spring when the fluid is returned to the tank or reservoir by movement of the release valve rod 22 in a forward direction, that is, toward theshaft 17;motion in the opposite or valve 0105- ing direction being assured by a constantly operating spring of usual type.

The cam lever 16 for operating the fluid release valve rod 22 is sickle shaped as viewed from one side so that the operating rod 30 in its movement 9o about the axis of the shaft 17 will constantly be in a position to open the valve when the rod 30 is moved toward the substantially vertical flat inner face 31 of this lever. The flange 32 is added merely to give the required rigidity to this part which it will be noted is actually a bell crank lever, the inward arm of which is forked as at 33 to receive a fiat L shaped link 34 the downturned end 35 of which is adjustably secured to the rod 22 by the lock nuts shown while the forward end of this link is perforated to receive a light coupling pin 37 which is readily removable and is kept from loss or misplacement by a chain 38 fast to a perforated lug 39 projecting rearwardly from the transverse arm of the lever 16. Since this link 11 0 34 operates the release valve it is advisable to prevent accidental movement of the valve with a consequent release of the load upon the worker who might be beneath the load which is usually an automobile. This pin 3'1 is therefore made readily removable and when a worker has elevated an automobile and desires to work under it his first act should be to withdraw this coupling pin 37 so that movement of the lever 16 will not operate the release valve..

The head casting consists of an integral handle bar 40 and a socket piece 41 the latter receiving the tongue or handle 42, these two parts being secured together in any desired manner, the handle as usual being a hollow rod preferably a piece of standard tubing bolted to both the head and the yoke 43, the latter integral with the hub 21.

A'downturned lug 44 on the head furnishes a support for the pivot 45 of the control handle 46, the pivot, it will be noted, lying somewhat to the side of the center line in order that the control rod 48 may pass centrally thru the tubular tongue.

This rod is bent at a right angle to form a pivot 49 in the control .handle 46 and is bent similarly at 51 to furnish a pivotal connection with the bell crank lever 50.

By pulling the right hand portion 52 of the control lever 46 toward the right hand grip 53 of the handle bar the control lever 46 is turned about its pivot causing the pivotal connection 49 of the rod to move toward the jack. This turns the bell crank lever about its pivot 54 in a lug 55 extending inwardly from the yoke casting 43 and, by engagement of the pin 5'7 extending from the operating or positioning bar 30 with the side of the slot 58 in the bell crank lever, moves the operating rod 30 to the left, as seen in the various figures, thus engagingone of the three or more slots in the spotting devices at the forward end of the side bar 10 of the jack frame.

.Similarly movement of the grip 59 toward the left hand grip 60 of the handle bar causes a pulling of the rod toward the handle bar and turns the bell crank lever 50 toward the right to bring the operating bar 30 into contact with the arcuate flat side 31 of the cam lever 16 which is engaged by the operating rod 30, when moved in the man her just described, in any position whatsoever that the'tongue maytake. A spring 61 normally holds the bell crank lever toward the cam lever but LI prefer that its strength shall be such that it does not hold the bar 30 in contact with the face -31 altho absolutely insuring that the bar 30 shall -never remain in positionto engage one of the operator which will release the oil from behind the ram.v As in all these devices the release valve spring is fairly strong and will readily snap the control lever 46 back to normal position whenever the grip 59 is released. This control lever is restored to normal position when the spotting device is released by the spring 61.

' We will assume the jack is in normal position that is with the handlethrown back toward the jack very slightly beyond vertical. In such position the edge 62 of the boxing strikes the shoulder 63 and the positioning and trip bar 30 is in registry with slot 11 at the left. There is notendency for the handle to fall because in dethe grips 59 and 60 will scending the handle pumps oil from the tank 64 to raise the load carrier 65. In pulling or pushing the jack to position the handle is brought to a position somewhat below 45 so that when the load carrier is approximately beneath the load the handle is raised to 45 at which time the operating rod 30 is in registry with slot 12 and is shot into position by pulling the right hand grip 52 toward the handle bar 40. A slight downward movement of the handle now rotates the bar against the lower face of the slot 12 which is materially wider than the operating rod and this friction is sufficient to hold the bar against the spring 61 so that the handle will not fall and the grip 52 will remain inclose proximity to the handle bar leaving the device ready for spotting, this consisting merely in pressing directly down upon handle bar and thus lifting the load carrier end of the jack with the two front casters 6'7 as fulcrumsso that the saddle 66 can be swung into exact registry with the load. When thus positioned the handle is lifted a degree or two freeing the operating bar so that its spring may move it to the normal position shown in all of the figures. Reciprocation of the handle now raises the load and if it is necessary for the worker to go beneath the raised automobile he removes the coupling pin 37 freeing the link 34 from the cam lever 16 as a safety first measure as this disconnects the right hand grip 59 from the release valve rod 48 avoiding the possibility of a meddling or absent-minded passerby lowering the load by pulling the grip 59. When the work is completed the safety coupling pin 37 is replaced and the load is lowered by pulling the grip at any angle of the handle, preferably of course in a lowered position so as to obtain the benefit of the greater leverage when the handle bar is at about 35 which also is the most .convenient position for pulling the jack away from the vehicle.

What I claim is:

1. In a jack, a jack body, a load support, a tongue hinged to said body, operating mechanism on said body for moving the load support 120 vertically and selective means for at will either releasing operating mechanism at any position of the tongue or for locking the tongue to the body.

2. The device of claim 1 in which the means 125 is a transverse bar.

3. The device of claim 1 in which the jack is four wheeled and the means includes a spring pressed slidable transverse bar located in front of the fore-wheels.

4. The device of claim 1 in which the means is controlled from the free end of the tongue.

5. The device of claim 1 in which the means is a transverse bar near the hinge end of the tongue controlled by a centrally pivoted lever at the free end of the tongue.

6. In a hydraulic jack, a frame, a spring pressed release valve, a tongue pivoted to the frame for oscillation about a horizontal axis, an

operating bar carried by the tongue, a member lying above and also in front of the said axis, and in the path of said bar at all angular positions of said tongue, means connecting said member and said valve and means on said tongue fo actuating said operating bar.

'7. A jack frame having two parallel side bars, a tongue pivoted to both side bars so as to oscillate about a transverse horizontal axis, a plurality of recesses in one of said side bars spaced equidistant from said axis, a bar slidable in the tongue constantly parallel to said axis, and means carried by said tongue for causing the said bar to engage in a selected recess to lock the tongue to said bar for spotting.

8. In a jack, a load support, a tongue movably secured thereto, a transverse handle bar on said tongue, a control lever pivoted in proximity to said handle bar, a link secured to said lever. and means controlled by the position of said link for locking the tongue to the jack or for lowering the load support at any position of said tongue. 1

9. The device of claim 8 in which the means includes a transverse bar near the connection between the tongue and jack and a bell crank lever in operative relation with said bar and operated by said link.

10. In a jack, a frame having a plurality of recesses therein, a tongue pivoted to the frame, a bar sliding parallel to the axis of the tongue pivot, and means manually operable from the free end of the tongue for moving the bar into registry with one of the recesses to lock the tongue to the frame for spotting.

11. In a jack, a wheeled body, elevating mechanism, lowering mechanism, a tongue pivoted to the body for operation of the elevating mechanism, and means for selectively locking the tongue to the body for spotting, releasing the tongue for normal use in operating the elevating mechanism, and for operating the lowering mechanism at' any angular position of said tongue.

12. The device of claim 11 in which the means is a transverse bar.

13. The device of claim 11 in which the means is controlled from the free end of the tongue.

14. The device of claim 11 in which the means is located at the pivoted end of the tongue and is controlled by'a lever pivoted adjacent'the free end of the tongue.

15. In a hydraulic ram jack, a wheeled body, a tongue hinged to said body, means operated by movement of the tongue for creating pressure behind the ram for raising a load, pressure release mechanism, and means manually controlled by 'a single element at the free end of the tongue for connecting the tongue to the body at a plurality of angular positions of said tongue for spotting or for operating the release mechanism at any angular position of said tongue.

16. The device of claim 15 in which the means is a transverse sliding bar connected to the single element thru a tongue enclosed rod.

17. The device of claim 15 in which the means is a spring pressed transverse bar directly operated by a bell crank lever.

18. In a hydraulic ram jack, a wheeled body, a tongue hinged to said body, means operated by movement of the tongue for creating pressure hehind the ram for raising a load, pressure release mechanism, and a sliding piece having three positions in said tongue, in the first connecting the tongue to the body for spotting, in the second freeing the tongue for normal use in load lifting,

and in the third operating the release mechanism at any position of the tongue.

19. In-a jack, a load support, release mechanism to lower the load support, an arcuate' cam pivoted near the front end of the jack, operative connections between the cam and the mechanism, a member movable about an axis and slidable parallel thereto for engaging the cam to lower the load support and means pivoted to thejack for supporting said member.

20. In a jack, a load support, lowering mechanism including a release member, means positioned for convenient operation, linkage connecting said conveniently located means with said release member including a readily removable coupling pin, and means for holding the linkage and the release member in assembled relation when the pin is removed so as to facilitate replacement of the coupling pin. 

